Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan

author: Mateus Santolouco

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.38

book published: 2012

rating: 3

read at: 2013/06/30

date added: 2013/06/30

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

A scholar gives a talk on a legendary clan of ninjas. Little does he know that his knowledge will show him that the clan still exists.



In a series of flashbacks to history, the story of the Foot clan is fleshed out. Shown are the secrets of the immortality of it's leaders and how Shredder came to power over the years. In the present day, the professor is tempted with a job that will give him further knowledge into what he seeks, but it puts him in danger. It's up to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to save him.



It's a good story. A lot of it is told in flashback, so the usual characters aren't featured as much as some might like, but there is plenty of action, and plenty of the turtles and Casey Jones when it is all finished. The art is action packed with lots of action lines drawn in panels to show speed and direction, and things extending out beyond panels. Flashbacks are done with muted colors and rougher panel outlines that give them more of a hand drawn look. It's a nice touch. It's always good to catch up with Raph, Don, Leo and Mikey.





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G.I. Joe: The Idw Collection Volume 2

author: Chuck Dixon

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.50

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/06/29

date added: 2013/06/29

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

When I think of G.I. Joe, I guess I still think of the cartoon and the toys, so I was pleasantly surprised by the stories in this volume. There is the usual action, of course, but there is a depth to the characters that was quite satisfying.



In the first story, Mainframe is injured while on a mission. During his recovery, he starts finding shadowy leads to a hidden organization that needs further investigation. When he can't convince his superiors, he decides to take matters into his own hands.



The second story line, and the one that takes the bulk of the book, features Charmer as a deep undercover operative. He gets in so deep that he is forced to make tough choices to finish the mission. The story is complex and well written with good action. The final story features characters in the Charmer storyline, and to explain it would be spoilerish.



As stated, writing was quite good. Art style varied per storyline, but was executed competently. Flashbacks in Charmer's storyline were faded, so it was really easy to distinguish the present and past.





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How We Decide

author: Jonah Lehrer

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.81

book published: 2009

rating: 4

read at: 2013/06/28

date added: 2013/06/28

shelves: non-fiction

review:

A really interesting book about how we make decisions. It delves into the different areas of the brain to discuss their function during the decisions we make. One of the main questions raised asks if we make better decisions by being analytical or by using gut instinct. And the answer is a resounding yes.



Told with many examples, from pilots who saved airplanes, to all the decisions a quarterback has to make, to the best way to pick a strawberry jam, it's insightful, if perhaps not as conclusive as some might like. It turns out that our experience can inform decisions on a subconcious level, so while the situation or crisis we find ourselves in may not be familiar to us, our brain is already skewing our options and opinions. This had good and adverse consequences. Sometimes, our brain gets fooled, and we spend too much money or there are too many variables to choose from, so we pick irrationally.



This book confirms my theory that we won't have truly sentient computers in my lifetime. Sure, we can build a computer to beat humans at chess because the options are all analytical, but building one that could win at poker, where the options are analytical and bluffing, seems nigh impossible. An interesting afterword explains why statistics for airplane crashes are down. Our brains are really amazing and this book is very readable.





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The Crow: Skinning the Wolves

author: James O'Barr

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.55

book published: 2013

rating: 2

read at: 2013/06/27

date added: 2013/06/27

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

If you think Nazis were evil and deserve to be killed in beautifully horrific ways, then this newest installment in The Crow series may be right up your alley.



A train pulls into a concentration camp and all of the prisoners are marched into the gates except one. A lone man stays on the train, and when he is prodded out, explodes in a level of violence that continues through all three issues of the comic represented here.



The camp's commandant is a cruel man who tempts prisoners with life if they can beat him at a game of chess. While this plays out, we see flashbacks of a similar scene indicating the trigger for the violence against the nazis.



James O'Barr returns for this story, and the Jim Terry artwork reaches a ghoulish level that reminded me of horror comics from the 1950s (and I mean that in the best possible way). You don't expect huge plots in one of these stories and this one is no different, but I seem to remember the stories having more sadness and pathos. It seems that the final message is that vengeance can never be quenched, and I found that particularly unsatisfying this time around.





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Last Launch: Discovery, Endeavor, Atlantis

author: Dan Winters

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2012

rating: 4

read at: 2013/06/26

date added: 2013/06/26

shelves:

review:

'Last Launch' is a photographic tribute to three space shuttles and their final launches from Florida by Dan Winters. Mr. Winters was given clearance to photograph them at launch. The photos throughout the book show some of the history of spaceflights as well as full color plates of the three featured shuttles, the Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis, in flight and at rest.



There is an introduction by Dan Winters explaining how he became interested in space missions through his parents watching launches on television in the 1960s. Also, there is an overview of the shuttle program by Al Reinert, director of NASA's documentary For All Mankind. The overview discusses the funding battles, failures and ultimate triumphs of the shuttle program, and does it in a few short pages. There is also a brief introduction by Mark Kelly, who was commander on Endeavor's last flight (and is probably better known as Gabrielle Gifford's husband at this point).



The pictures of the launches explode with power and clouds of spent fuel. Shown also are the shuttles at rest, as well as some of the ephemera of space travel. Each shuttle is given a section in the book. Some of the launch photos look similar to each other, especially when there is just a cloud of fuel vapor, but the shots of the shuttle escaping lower atmosphere are breathtaking. Shots of heat shields and astronaut gear and a bag of space ready M&Ms add a human touch to the story



The book wraps up with a description of how shuttle launch photos are taken (close up and automated with everything locked or taped down to prevent vibration). It's an intriguing process, and I was glad it was included. The book finishes with plate descriptions of the photos by Dan Winters.



I can't help but feel wistful looking at these photos. They depict a program we may never see again, but that served an amazing purpose in the history of space. Without the shuttle, we likely would not have the Hubble telescope or much of the International Space Station. It's a moving tribute.





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The Lean Practitioner's Handbook

author: Mark Eaton

name: Wayne

average rating: 0.0

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/06/25

date added: 2013/06/25

shelves: non-fiction-business

review:

'The Lean Practitioner's Handbook' is a nice introduction to Lean and it's confusing amount of niche terms. Mark Eaton has quite a bit of experience with Lean and this experience serves as good examples of topics throughout the book.



Through the course of the book, you will learn to plan for Lean. You will learn the history of Lean and what Lean is and is not. There are charts, and the book includes sample templates. There are even expected pitfalls, like management buy-in and worker attitudes and how to address them. There is even a glossary to help you remember the difference between 2P and 3P and Muda, Mura and Muri.



Concisely written and structured very well. There were chapters that I found helpful even outside of a Lean structure. Lean is not something I would want to launch into with just this book, but it serves as a really good introduction and would be a very handy reference guide during the process. Well written and recommended for anyone contemplating Lean or adopting it.







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We Can Fix It: A Time Travel Memoir

author: Jessica Fink

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.78

book published: 2012

rating: 3

read at: 2013/06/24

date added: 2013/06/24

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

A woman gets a time machine and tries to correct the mistakes her younger selves have made in the graphic novel by Jess Fink. Mistakes include awkward sexual encounters and job gaffes. As she attempts to correct the past, she keeps going further and further back as her past selves seem intent on making the same mistakes. Will she ever learn, or is there a greater truth to be had? Perhaps the mistakes we've made make us who we are. Or perhaps obsessing over them hides something better that we should remember.



Of course, the preceding paragraph makes this sound like a serious and introspective work, and doesn't include the fart jokes, the juvenile humor or the scene of making out with your past self (a gross idea to me, but to each their own, I suppose). It's all done in a self-deprecating style that shows how insecure and awkward we have all been, and how we over-obsess about the exact wrong things.



The art style is more like an online comic, quick lines and fun with action and words reaching beyond the panel borders. The content is not for everyone as it falls on the crass and crude side, but that time travel jumpsuit is pretty awesome.





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